Washed abb



UNITED srA'rns PATENT oFFrcE.

PHILIP H. KEGK, OF MORGAN'IOWN, VIRGINIA.

WASHBOARID.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,228, dated July 4, 1854.

To @ZZ whom timag/ concern Be it known that I, PHILIP I-I. Kncn, of

Morgantowm in the county of `Monongalia and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in W'ashboards; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,`

through the channel and over the top of the board, for the purpose of wetting the clothes and otherwise facilitating the washing operation. n

` To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to dey scribe its construction and operation.

In the drawing a is the board having in its upper surface the transverse grooves Z) common in all washboards, and in its under portion the longitudinal channel 0 communicating by the openings d and `e with the upper surface of the board. Above the top of the board are the covers f and g; forming, as shown in Fig. 2, the chambers z, and c'. The rubber B is formed with a groo-ved under surface c, and sides Z united by the bar m, as Shown in the drawing. The hinges u unite the rubber B with the slide S, the tenons 79 of which fit in the grooves 0 and confine said slide between the cheeks q of the board. This slide fits closely into the chamber it, and has running through it longitudinally the channel r communicating with the opening of the vertical pipe t as seen in Fig. 2. At the lower extremity of the channel r is the valve lw opening outward, the use of which will be hereafter eX- plained.

The operation of my improvedwashboard is as follows: The board is placed in anordinary tub containing suiicient water to reach-to the top of chamber 71,; the board resting uponthe projections y. AThe clothes are placed between the rubber B and grooved bottom and the bar m grasped by the operator, who then gives the rubber and slide a reciprocating motion with the fol* lowing effect: As the slide S is drawn from the boX or chamber h, the water rushes in to fill the vacuum caused by such withdrawal; and the succeeding entrance of the slide into the chamber forces the water through the opening al into the channel c and from the upper opening e over the top of the board where it falls upon the garmentand completely saturates it; every downward motion of the rubber throwing up a quant-ity of water proportional to the capacity of the `chamber z.. The small valve c in the channel c which opens upward serves to prevent the water forced above it from returning. The valve w serves to exclude the water during the downward motion of the slide, and by opening to the current of air passing through the channel r and pipe t as the slide rises, facilitates the upward movement of the slide.` l

The tube t can be made of zinc, wood or other suitable material, and the board can be made in any of the usual modes of construct ing washboards. The pressure is regulated to suit the garment operated upon, inasmuch it is altogether performed by the hand of the operator. The advantage of this board consists in the constant ow of water upon the garment produced by the operation, and the absence of the splashing and throwing of water attendant upon the use of the ordinary washbo-ard.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The construction of the washboard with the chamber h and closely iitting slide S, in combination with the channel c and openings d and e for furnishing a constant supply of water to the clothes substantially as herein fully set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my namebefore two subscribing witnesses.

. P. H. IIECK. 

